Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues

by Joshua D. Chatraw, Karen Swallow Prior

How should Christians approach important contemporary issues like war, race, creation care, gender, and politics? Christians in every culture are confronted with social trends and moral questions that can be difficult to navigate. But, the Bible often doesn't speak directly to such issues. Even when it does, it can be confusing to know how best to apply the biblical teaching. In Cultural A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues authors Joshua D. Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior first offer a broadly accessible framework for cultural engagement and then explore specific hot topics in current Western culture Featuring contributions from over forty top thinkers, proponents of various views on the specific topics present their approaches in their own words, providing readers an opportunity to fairly consider options. Unique in how it addresses both big-picture questions about cultural engagement and pressing current issues, Cultural Engagement provides a thorough and broad introduction useful for students, professors, pastors, college ministers, and any believer wanting to more effectively exercise their faith in the public square.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Faith, Cultural, Christian Living, Christianity

368 pages, Hardcover

Published July 9, 2019

About the author

Associate Professor of Theology and Apologetics
Executive Director of The Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement

Reviews

[Cheryl Linebarger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really took my time with this book, generally reading just one essay/article at a time, so that I could really think about it and chew on it a bit. It was well worth the two months spent, and book I highly recommend to all my evangelical Christian friends.

The editors of this book, Joshua Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior, put together a wonderful collection of essays, from a wide variety of authors, on todays “hot button” topics. The essays are all from Christian authors, but there is no slick consensus of opinion on these issues. The topics covered range from gun control, gender roles, climate change, abortion, war, capital punishment, immigration, race relations, reproductive technology, sexuality, politics, and much, MUCH more!

Each broad topic is introduced by the editors, and then followed by a handful or more essays from the various authors. I benefitted greatly by reading articles that differ from my own opinion or position, and understanding how other Christians have formed their opinions. There are discussion questions following each section which would make this book a great read for a group. I’d definitely put this in the hands of my homeschooled high school students if I still had any of those around!

[Tim Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very though provoking.

From the last chapter: Christians tend to be either condemners of culture, critiquers of culture, copiers of culture, or consumers of culture. Any of these are fine in certain instances. But the problem comes because we make one stance a lasting posture rather than varying from instance to instance. Rather we could be artists and gardeners. Creators and cultivators of culture. Good stuff.

[Tori Samar · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is cultural engagement? How should Christians engage culture? What is the biblical approach to a whole host of contemporary issues: sexuality, gender roles, human life and reproduction, immigration and race, creation and creature care, politics, work, the arts, and war and weapons? This collection of essays seeks to provide some answers.

As with any essay collection, some essays are better than others. The very best, in my opinion, came near the book's beginning: "Engaging Culture Virtuously." A very worthwhile read. It explains the how of cultural engagement. In an age which has drifted far away from virtue, Christians are to practice virtue in all of their cultural interactions. We are to be people of diligence, which literally means to show care and attentiveness. We don't chime in on issues about which we know little or nothing just because everyone else is racing to share his or her opinion. Rather, we study the issues with care (a study that involves exposing oneself to disagreeing viewpoints). We are also to be people of humility, which demands an "accurate assessment of . . . one's opinions and views as well as one's expertise (or lack thereof)" and a recognition of present-day blind spots. We spend far too much time judging prior eras, constantly wondering "How could they not see?" when we ought to be wondering "What are we not seeing today?" Only with humility can we truly learn and accept correction. Finally, our cultural engagement should be characterized by integrity, wisdom, and the fruit of the Spirit (at this point, I'm going to cop out of further summary and simply encourage you to read the whole essay 😉).

As for the "meat" of this book, which is the various essays on each contemporary issue mentioned above—while perhaps this book is a helpful starting point for considering various Christian viewpoints on contemporary issues, it's not at all a great place to stay. The scope of the book in comparison to its length means that each author had little choice but to paint in fairly broad brushstrokes (in light of that, I was disappointed not to see a "For Further Reading" section included at the end of each chapter). So please don't try to use this book to solidify your perspective on any given issue. Use it for exposure if you're so interested, but don't stop there. Read, study, research, evaluate against Scripture. In other words, be diligent!

[Ethan Moehn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking, but I wish the chapters were longer. At best, it’s a cursory resource to get a “gist” on an issue. There are a multitude of perspectives represented in this book, for which I commend the editors. The lack of further recommended reading made me sad.

[Jake Griess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the setup of this book—how it provided arguments from multiple views on the most important cultural issues today.

[Maurice Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great read, especially during our rapidly changing American society. Would enjoy a follow up detailing how exactly our culture has changed in this country.

[Stephen Hoogerhyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it proclaims to be: a crash course in contemporary issues. The book intentionally does not attempt to cover every issue in depth, nor does it attempt to suggest the correct approach or view that Christians should have toward each of the issues covered. But it does offer an excellent introduction to engaging contemporary cultural issues.

The book begins by discussing various views of the interplay between Christianity and culture; Biblical perspectives on culture, engagement, and common grace; and how to engage culture virtuously (i.e., with diligence, humility, integrity, and wisdom). This is very helpful for defining terms, setting expectations, and providing a framework for what follows.

The bulk of book contains essays by a variety of writers, from a variety of viewpoints, generally about five or sex for each particular issue. The issues covered are: sexuality, gender roles, human life and reproductive technology, immigration and race, creation and creature care, politics, work, arts, and finally war, weapons, and capital punishment. As you can see, the editors do not shy away from thorny issues! Each unit is preceded by an introduction, and followed by a series of suggested discussion questions. Don't skip either; they are very valuable.

The book ends with two essays intended to propel the reader forward, one on gospel-shaped cultural engagement, and one on Christians as creators and cultivators of culture.

The essays are all very short, and may raise more questions than they answer. But that's good, and I'm sure it was the editors' intent. As someone once wisely said, it's better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.

This book would be terrific for a discussion group. It would provide a great curriculum and jumping off point for Christians who want to thoughtfully interact with contemporary culture. In fact, along with Kenneth A. Myers' book All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes, and Neil Postman's book Amusing Ourselves to Death, I think you have the makings of a great reading list for Christians who want to engage the culture with gospel humility and grace.

[Spencer R · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 10/26/20)

Josh Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior have produced a resource full of essays so that we could read other perspectives on nine different topics and be better prepared for future conversations involving clashing views. The topics are:
1. sexuality
2. gender roles
3. human life and reproductive technology
4. immigration and race
5. creation and creature care
6. politics
7. work
8. arts
9. war, weapons, and capital punishment

In chap 1, we read through the lenses that our culture provides us with. It shapes how we think, live, decide, and view others. Culture shapes our sensibilities. They affect our affections and desires. They tell us what is "good" and what kind of things (or people) should be left behind. We pass down our culture to our children through our family rhythms, loves, dislikes, practices, etc.

Chapter two helps us to see how pivotal it is to know the Bible's storyline so that we can more faithfully interact with culture. Chapter three encourages us to engage virtuously with culture (e.g., diligence, thoroughness, and humility).

Part 2, "Contemporary Issues," is 273 pgs long, and gives us the 9 different perspectives. Each section brings scholars from different viewpoints together to explain their personal beliefs about a particular topic. Each topic contains 5–7 chapters, each being 3–5 pgs (it is a “crash course in contemporary issues”). This book doesn’t try to convince you of each position as much as inform you of the many positions. There is plenty to read, so its nice the chapters are so short. Links to websites/books for further reading are provided.

In Part Three, the final two chapters encourage us to engage culture as gospel-shaped people and to create culture. Cultivating culture will look differently for different people.

Recommended?
Though the chapters are very short, it's better to read from scholars than from Joe Schmoe's opinion piece in the paper. Take up and read!

[Suzanne McDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea and aims behind this volume are laudable, but the execution is extremely patchy. The issues were mostly framed well by the editors, and there are some very well-informed and helpful essays on all sides from real experts in their fields, hence the two stars. But far, far too many of the contributions had little of substance, either about the topics, or about the theological and scriptural issues that should help to inform our discussion of them (and I was also extremely disappointed to see that a platform was given to a purveyor of egregiously unscientific misinformation). The equivalent of ‘I don’t know a lot about this subject, but I will go online and look up a few sources and then give you my opinion on it’ (one contributor more or less admitted to doing this....) might be how far too many people these days engage with important issues, but that is the last thing I would want to see modeled in a book like this that is supposed to be helping us towards doing so much better. Finally, on some current 'hot button' issues the balance between ‘conservative’ and more ‘liberal’ views was significantly skewed towards the former. That is not necessarily surprising, given the book's provenance and likely audience, but it's still disappointing. While I could recommend some of the essays on all sides, I definitely could not recommend this whole volume for church or classroom use.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one's a tough one to rate, because I think it probably succeeds more in ideal applications -- conversation starters for a group/classroom or as introductions to debates in various topics -- than it does as a sit-down-read-alone book. Chatraw and Prior do a great job with their essays, which are balanced and insightful. The essays throughout the book, though, are more hit-or-miss (as tends to be the case with these types of collections). The second half or so felt much stronger to me, but your own mileage probably varies by interest.

The essays are all short, which makes them good ways to jump into topics, but it's also their biggest downside. The authors I disagreed with didn't have enough space to really convince me and few if any are going to send me running to see a deeper dive into their points (a few do a much better job of succinctly stating smart directions to look into).

In short, the book is probably very good at being what it is, and I'd recommend it for introductory reading or group debating.

[Lilly Roepnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors have done an excellent job of addressing controversial contemporary issues and presenting a range of Christian viewpoints on them. Even when I disagree with an essay's author, reading their perspective gives me insight into why someone may believe differently from me. I really enjoyed the section on IVF and LQGTQ because the authors did a phenomenal job of demonstrating what the Bible says and how various Christians interpret that. I strongly disagreed with two of the essays because they twist the Bible, BUT I'm glad and thankful that those opinions are included. Why? Because when I engage with those who hold that view, I can help them see what God truly says in the Bible, and I can identify the weaknesses in their argument. This book really helped connect what I had read in my main textbook to a more applied ethics view. I'll be keeping this book, and I'm glad I have it because I read beyond what I was supposed to in other sections that interested me. This will be very helpful when writing essays.

Partial Read for Ethics

[Sydni · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I was afraid to read this book because I feared disagreeing with the authors, but I was impressed by the way Chatraw and Prior represented a range of views and put divergent opinions back to back. Rife with emotionally-charged views on today’s hot topics, Cultural Engagement places different perspectives on display to introduce the reader to other vantage points and encourage you to think outside your own viewpoint. Each chapter is broken up into a handful of short articles, which are easy to digest and offer an introduction or short snippet on each topic. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter would be great to go through with a book club, Bible study, or around the dinner table. As a culture, and as Christians, we desperately need to learn how to listen to others who disagree from us. On top of that, we need to learn to ask the right questions, and to question ourselves. This book will help exercise the muscles for that atrophying skill.

[Jonathan Prudhomme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated this book for its rather ambitious goal to put on display many different viewpoints on matters about which many people (even Christians) disagree today. Perhaps the only viewpoint that truly departed from what I would consider faithful orthodoxy was that of Matthew Vines’ thoughts on the Christian sex ethic. That said, however, the presence of so many viewpoints seemed to draw the reader’s attention to our need to be aware of our own cultural presuppositions that we are bringing to both the biblical text and the culture around us. I felt that the discussion questions at the end of each section helped me think through what was motivating and influencing the view that I held and ultimately pointed me back to God’s word to consider my thoughts more carefully (which should be the ultimate goal for any of these discussions in my opinion).

[Logan Gailitis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok and sparked good discussion with the person I read alongside of. However, the breadth of topics in this book meant that the individual contributions were so short that often the contributor didn’t move the conversation forward at all—in my
opinion. Many chapters left me wondering what their position was or what they were contributing to the discussion. Additionally, a number of the contributors talked past each other and this makes sense since a number of the essays were grabbed from prior writing on other platforms. It seems to me that this book would have been improved by limiting the number of essays to increase the depth of the essays themselves and have the contributors interact with each other to provide more meaningful dialogue.

[Rachel Mayes Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cultural engagement is a many faceted and often misunderstood concept. This anthology provides not only a coherent philosophy for cultural engagement but also a host of instructive examples (which aren't overly academic) of what gracious cultural engagement looks like. Because these essays are not all in agreement on the various issues they discuss, they provide natural opportunities for reflection and discussion, especially since the authors provide a list of questions at the end of each section. If you're looking for biblically formed perspectives on varying issues, this would be a great place to start.

[AJ Gebara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a long read because there was a lot in the book. I greatly enjoyed it! It was great to see that there is a wide diversity of views on major topics like gun control, abortion, and the arts within the evangelical church. My favorite section was on racial reconciliation because all the authors acknowledge that “color-blindness” is not a solution and acknowledge that we need to recognize systemic racism in our society to better serve our Black brothers and sisters. Overall, great read and if anyone wants to learn about how we as Christians can and should engage with culture, and learn about the various viewpoints on cultural issues then I highly recommend this book.

[Dustin Moody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this book—a collection of essays taking different theological positions on contemporary topics. It’s application doesn’t quite live up to that premise. I wanted to be challenged in my thinking on topics I may not agree with but hadn’t fully considered, and while some of the essays are thoughtful and well-reasoned, others offer mostly platitudes and appeals to emotion. Consider it more of a handbook or reference point than a book to read through at once. Even then, some of the authors stand out far more than others.

[Horace · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the subtitle suggests, this is a crash course in a large number of contemporary culture issues. Such a crash course has the disadvantage of superficiality but I suppose there is something to be said for exposure to wide array of issues. The topics include sexuality, gender, human life, immigration and race, creation and creature care, politics, work, arts, war/weapons/capital punishment. A closing essay by Andy Crouch is very similar to the message of his *Culture Making* and is a satisfying close to this book.

[Hannah Brown]

We read this for my Apologetics class this semester, and the format worked really well. There's a topic (e.g. sexuality, creation and creature care, art), essays by various authors presenting their position on the topic, and then discussion questions at the end. Do I wish some of the essays were more nuanced and better written? Sure. But if you have two to four pages to define and defend your view of pacifism or complementarianism or global warming, what do you expect?

[Karla Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a concise handbook for Christian cultural engagement. It provides diverse perspectives from a multiplicity of authors on a variety of topics. But the overall theme that our involvement in culture matters is what especially excites me about this book. While some authors take a more withdrawal from culture approach - the editors have weaved a consistent message of being salt and light in the world as cultivators and creators.

[Slynn Bookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros
- Filled with articles on each subject area from different people with thought provoking views, even if you disagree
- Biblical view of what have become political and social landmines
- Great tool for a class to use to inspire discussion

Cons
- Section 1 is repetitive and wordy

Thankful for the forced reading of this book in class because it is a gem that most Christians and counselors would overlook. Removes bias from multicultural situations.

[Eric Wendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a good resource to have at the ready for tough social arguments. This book is not one sided by any means. It is a collection of articles and addresses both sides of the most debated topics in the 1st world culture today.

[Mark Youngkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of cultural issues facing Christians today. Where there are contrasting views on a specific issue, such as gun control, both views are represented. I am anxious to begin using this as a text in a Theology and Culture class.

[Heather Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent introduction to the various views generally held by Christians seeking to be informed by Scripture regarding current issues our culture. Some essays were better written and argued than others, but overall a good collection.

[Shelbi Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book challenged my thinking and expanded my knowledge. I did feel like some of the articles were less than impressive and wished there would have been more depth to some. Overall a great read and definitely recommend.

[Ryan Beneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

As advertised, explores contemporary issues from a variety of Christian perspectives. The essays themselves are of mixed quality and far too brief to be comprehensive, but the book is a good place to get your cultural bearings and find a few authors you might want to read further.

[Audrey Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of informative short essays on intercultural studies issues

[Staci]

Perhaps a book for another time.

[Whit Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very handy reference for thinking through a variety of perspectives on various issues very quickly and accessibly.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great assortment of essays to contemplate many of the complex issues of the day.